The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), Association of South African Travel Agencies (ASATA), Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA), Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), European Travel Agents’ and Tour Operators’ Associations (ECTAA) and World Travel Agents Associations Alliance (WTAAA)—collectively representing the hundreds of thousands of people who work at travel agencies and related businesses around the world—are calling on government leaders globally to expedite the lifting of all country- and region-specific travel bans.
According to the groups, when elected officials make public policy decisions in the interest of public health, those governments have an obligation to provide financial resources to the industries and individuals most affected by their decisions. Closing borders and implementing new restrictions, they say, affects millions of employees in the travel and tourism industry, while also putting already vulnerable businesses at further risk from ever recovering. They add: Government revenues also continue to be eroded due to the loss of economic activity from the industry, which represents one in every 10 jobs globally, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.
Recent and more stringent border closures have severely impacted already-complex international travel. “We collectively call on global government leaders to follow the best available science when determining border measures, including testing and prohibitions. Many countries follow strong biosecurity protocols, including masking, social distancing, and vaccination requirements,” the group said in a statement.
The new border measures have significant economic impacts on travel and tourism businesses and may not offer any additional community protection, the group said. “It is critical that government policy is guided by science, not political pressure or the desire to be seen as ‘doing something’ since these measures have significant, sometimes irreversible impact on businesses and jobs.”
The travel trade groups additionally called on governments to help sustain travel-reliant businesses until such time as they lift restrictions and normal travel patterns re-emerge. They highlighted the fact that, in response to its COVID restrictions, Canada has pledged support for travel-reliant businesses in the country through May 2022 and is urging other global leaders to follow their lead.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has continued to advise against the application of travel or trade restrictions to countries experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks. “In general, evidence shows that restricting the movement of people and goods during public health emergencies is ineffective in most situations and may divert resources from other interventions … Travel bans to affected areas or denial of entry to passengers coming from affected areas are usually not effective in preventing the importation of cases but may have a significant economic and social impact,” it has said.
“Governments around the world must prioritize the global distribution of vaccines while continuing to support the freedom of movement using the scientifically tested and sensible measures – masking, enhanced sanitation protocols, reasonable testing requirements and now, vaccination credentials,” the group said. “The global infrastructure to accommodate rapid turnaround times for PCR and other acceptable testing all within the span of a 24-hour timeline for results, is arduous in even the most advanced markets. Testing needs to be widely available and affordable, and it is the duty of governments worldwide to provide the resources and support the science-based approach to testing and vaccination requires.”
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